Apparatus for ray treatment of vegetation



Sept. 13, 1932:. w, 'PP 1,876,737

APPARATUS FOR RAY TREATMENT OF VEGETATION Filed Feb. 25; 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 13, F. w opp APPARATUS FOR RAY TREATMENT OF VEGETATION Filed Feb. 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ilww ntox is indicated at 7 and it able construction,

Patented Sept. 13, 1932 FBED W. OPP, OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOE on SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA arrnnarus FORRAY'TBEA Application filed February 25, 192

This invention relates to apparatus for ray treatment of vegetation, and'an ob ec t of the invention, in general, is toprov-ideln a portable apparatus all of the essentials for treating vegetation with: rays that. destroy parasitic life, whether it be on the leaves, branches, trunks-orthe fruit borne by the trees. Y

Another object of the invention is simplicity of construction andoperation.

Another object is to provide a self-contained unit having a number of ray producing elements that can be used simultaneously for the treatment of different trees or different portions of the same tree.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the subj oined detailed description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the provisions of this invention. 4

Figure 2 is an elevation of Figure 1 from the line indicated by 2-2, trees being indicated in position for receiving ray treatment.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line indicated by 3-3, Figure 2.

Figure 1 is an enlarged sectional view on the irregular line indicated by 4i4=, Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, there is provided a wheeled Vehicle 5, in this instance in the form of a trailer adapted to be drawn'by a motor truck 6. The draft device for connecting the trailer 5 may be of any suitwell understood in the art relating to'such devices. On the motor truck 6 is mounted a prime mover 8 which, in this instance, is illustrated as an internal combustion engine. This engine operates, through driving connections 9, an. electric generator 10. The motor for driving thetruck 6 is hidden from view, as it is beneath the hood 11. The generator 10 is connected by a wire 12 to a switch 18 positioned on the instrument board of the truck so as to be readily accessible from the truck operators seat. 7

Positioned on the trailer 5 is a transformer M for changing the low tension current of to the motor truck 6' the generator 10 into Also mounted on through which air by a motor nected by a wire 18 to or ONE-HALF T0 w. o. cortrns, I

TMENT 0F VEGETATION 9. Serial No. 342,530.

a high tension current.

the trailer is a radiator 15 is forced byafan 16 driven 17. The transformer 1 1 is conone pole of the generator 10 and is connected by another wire 19 to the switch-13. Thus is supplied to the switch 13 is closed. I

ed by wires 20, 21 tively, so as the low tension current transformer 14: when the The motor 17 1s connect to the wires 18,'19,respecto supply low tension current from the generator 10 to said motor 17.

Mounted on the the four corners thereof, each of which is .p1votally in this instance near are standards 22 on mounted at 23 an trailer,

arm 24: from the upper end of which is'suspended a ray producing element 25 such, for

example, as an X- ing units 25 may this purpose, the water cooled ray tube. The ray producbe suitably cooled and, for tubes 25 are mounted in shields 26' provided with passages 27. The opposite. ends of the passages 27v are connected by ator 15 vso that. the cooling late through the I liquid will circuradiatorv and through the shields 26. .The motorl? may drive, through driving connections line 28, sothata forced circulation of is cooling fluid may i In this particular instance,

30, apuinp .31 in the tubbe effected.

the suspension of the rayproducing units 25 is accomplished by providing each of'the shields 26 with an upwardly extending 83' through which passes a transverse hole pivotpin 34:. that ends, in bearings stem 82 provided with a is mounted, at itsopposite 35 of a fork'36 thatstraddles the shield 26. Thus,

gravity will tend to hold the'shield's 26 inhorizontal position regardless of the angle at which the arms 24 are adjusted.

The ray producing elements 25 are connected by wiring 37ito the former to said elements.

This wiring 37 s1on terminal of extends from the high ten the transformer 14 to the ing 37 divides as shown in extending up eacharm ing element25 on Figure 2, a lead, 24 to the ray-produc the end-ofthat arm.. I I v tubings 28, 29 to the raditransformer 1 1 so as to V supply a high tension current from the'trans- .24 are wound Preferably, the lower ends of the arms 24, which in reality constitute levers, are connected by coil springs 38 to arms 39 projecting substantially horizontally from the upper ends of the standards 22. The springs 38, at least in part, counter-balance the portions of the arms 24 that extend above their pivots 23, together with the elements suspended from the upper ends of said arms.

The arms 24 may be adjusted to different angles, so as to raise and lower the ray producing elements, by any suitable means and, in this instance, such means comprises a cable 40 connected to the lower end of each arm. The cables 40 for oppositely positioned arms on a drum 41. The drum 41, of which there are two in this instance, are mounted on a shaft 42 that extends longitudinally beneath the trailer platform 43 and is suspended in bearings 44 secured to the under surface of the platform 43. Each cable passes around a pulley 45 that is rotatably mounted on the trailer, as clearly seen in Figure 4, and each of the cables 40 passes on its way from the pulley 45 to the arm 24 through an opening 46 in the trailer platform 43. The shaft 42 is in two sections and the forward end of the rear section is coupled, by a coupling 47, to a forward section 48 which is provided, at a point adjacent to the truck drivers seat, with a crank 49 whereby the shaft 42 may be turned. The shaft section 48 is provided with a ratchet wheel 50 adapted to be engaged by a pawl 51 so as to hold the shaft 42 in the position to which it has been turned, thus to hold the arms 24 at any desired angle.

The invention operates as follows: The truck with its attached trailer is driven into an orchard between the rows of trees into position to suspend the ray producing elements 25 as nearly as possible over the centers of the adjacent trees. The engine 8 will then be started into operation, so as to produce a high tension current. The operator will then close the switch 18, thus supplying the high tension current to the ray producing elements. The water circulating in proximity to the ray producing elements prevents overheating of the same and the radiator 15 is maintained at a desirable temperature by operation of the motor 17.

After a specified interval of time, the operator will open the switch 13 and drive the truck and its trailer along the row of trees so as to bring the ray producing elements over the trees next adjacent to those already treated and he will then close the switch. Thus the apparatus will be driven between the diferent rows of trees inthe orchard, stopping a sufiicient length of time to treat each tree with the rays, until all of the trees in the orchard have been treated. The length of time of the treatment will depend uponthe variety of parasitic life that is to be destroyed and the size of thetree. If the tree is a very large one, the arms 24 may be adjusted to' difi'erent positions so as to first treat the upper portion of the tree and then the lower portions.

I am aware that the use of electric rays-for treating vegetation is not new, but I am not aware that an apparatus has been invented for conveniently treating the trees in an orchard.

I claim:

An apparatus for ray treating vegetation comprising a wheeled support, standards mounted on said support, an arm pivoted to each of said standards and extending up wardly and outwardly whereby arms on 0pposite sides of said support present their upper ends adjacent growing plants in rows located on opposite sides of the wheeled support, a ray producing element carried by each of said arms, a means on the support to adjust the arms to different inclinations and a means to supply a high tension electric current to the ray producing elements.

Signed at Costa Mesa, Calif, this 16th day of January, 1929.

' FRED W. OPP. 

